Snap Container for Pre-Portioned Product and Related Methods

ABSTRACT

A container for packaging a pre-portioned amount of liquid or dry product is provided that includes a one-piece outer casing defining an interior reservoir. The outer casing has a cylindrical shell that is closed at one end by a rounded tip and open at the opposing end with an open circular outer edge/rim defining a mouth. To fill the container, the product is introduced through the mouth into the interior reservoir; then opposing edges of the rim are compressed together and sealed with heat to create an elongated seal having two opposing ends. Multiple types of elongated seals are provided. In one aspect the outer casing is formed unitarily of a plastic resin. To open the container, the consumer squeezes the two opposing seal ends/termini toward each other; this deforms the elongated seal and causes the seal to snap open, which allows access to the product.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This nonprovisional application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/809,460, filed on Feb. 22,2019, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates generally to packing, storing, handling, and thenaccessing a product, and, more particularly, to a one-piece packagingcontainer, which contains a pre-portioned amount of liquid or dryproduct, and which can be manually snapped open to access the product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pre-portioned containers are becoming increasingly popular due to theconvenience they provide for the manufacturer and retailer in packing,storing, and handling a product and for the consumer in transporting thecontainer and in accessing the product. Particularly, pre-portionedcontainers are an improvement over using a dropper bottle or a measuringcup to portion out the product.

Pre-portioned containers are available in a variety of types. Singleservings of edible products such as butter or jelly are available in atub-like container with a plastic or foil seal across the top of thetub. Pre-portioned containers for brewable herbs, such as tea leaves andherbal mixtures, include tea bags with a foil or paper outer wrap.Single servings of some beverages are commonly packaged in a beveragepod containing coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or other beverage mixtures. Someproducts, such as single-servings of vitamins, minerals, botanicalmatter, or herbal mixtures, are packaged in a sealed foil or plasticpouch; the end may be cut off to dispense the product or both the endand one side may be cut off to create a shelf or canoe-shape from whichthe product may be poured.

However, previously provided pre-portioned containers have one or morelimitations. Some containers fail to preserve the freshness of productwell. For example, paper outer wrappers for tea bags do not keep out theair and humidity, so freshness is reduced. Most are not robust enough totransport in a pocket, purse, or bag. For example, tea bags are damagedwhen carried in a pocket or bag, and the small tub-like containersmerely have a piece of foil or film adhered to the top of the tub, whichis not substantial enough for transport in personal pockets and bagswithout the likelihood of leakage or spillage. Other pre-portionedcontainers cannot be opened manually without the use of a tool. Forexample, a foil pouch may require the consumer to obtain scissors foropening; it would be more convenient and efficient to allow the consumerto open the container without requiring a separate tool. Some types ofpre-portioned containers are not easy or fast to open.

Though various attempts have been made to overcome the limitations ofthe containers of the prior art, often the attempt to mitigate oneproblem worsens other problems. For example, if the container is made ofa thicker material, it may preserve freshness longer, but this mayincrease the difficulty of opening and increase the time required toopen the container.

Accordingly, there is a need for a product container that is configuredto hold a pre-portioned amount of product, that is designed to keep theproduct fresh, that is robust enough to transport in a pocket or bag,that is fast and easy to open, and that can be opened without a tool.

The discussion above is merely provided for general backgroundinformation and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining thescope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a container for receiving, storing,handling, and accessing a pre-portioned amount of product. The containeris formed from a one-piece outer casing that defines an interiorreservoir. The outer casing comprises a cylindrical shell with a closedfirst end and an open (until sealing) second end. A rounded tip isdisposed at and closes the first end. The opposing open second endcircular open edge or rim defines a mouth.

To fill the container, the product is introduced through the open mouthto fill a portion of the interior reservoir, which includes filling therounded tip and partially filling the cylindrical body.

To secure the product within the container, which is preferably formedof a plastic material, opposing edges of the outer rim are compressedtogether and heated to fuse portions of the opposing edges of the outerrim to create a thin, elongated seal. The elongated seal incorporatesboth the right and left portions of the rim to form a thin lengthwisefused seam that terminates on opposing ends at a first seal terminus andan opposing second seal terminus.

To open the snap container holding the pre-portioned product, theconsumer places a thumb on the first seal terminus and a finger on theopposing second seal terminus and applies pressure. The pressure isapplied in a squeezing motion that causes the middle portion of theelongated seam to deform (the middle generally deforms downwardly). Uponapplication of sufficient pressure, the seal bursts, and the containersnaps open; the container again has an open mouth at the top of thecylindrical body. The product can then be poured out of the containerthrough the restored open mouth.

The casing is formed of a synthetic or processed plastic material thatcan be molded into shape while soft and then sets into a slightlyelastic form. After sealing, the container provides a substantiallyairtight seal due to the material used to form the casing and due to theintegrity of the seal.

The product enclosed within the container may be a liquid material ordry material. Liquids that may be enclosed include energy shots,flavorings, aromatics or perfumes, natural or processed oils, essentialoils, bath oils, tinctures, elixirs, liquid plant derivatives, liquidvitamin mixtures, liquid mineral mixtures, liquid medicines, and thelike. The dry material that can be packaged in the container includes,for example, powders, crystals, plant-derived materials (leaves,flowers, stems, roots, bark, seeds, herbs, brewable material (coffee,tea, herbs, etc.), smokable material, etc.), animal-derived materials(bouillon granules, powdered milk, fish oil, etc.), vitamins, minerals,food products (creamer, citrus powder, flavorings, etc.), bath salts,plant fertilizer, non-liquid medicines, and the like. A single producttype may be packaged in a single container, or a mixture of multipleproduct types may be package in a single container.

An exemplary machine for sealing the snap containers is also disclosedherein.

The snap container provides several advantages over the prior art. Oneadvantage is the portability of the sealed container, which is due to atleast the material used, the strength of the seal, and the compact sizeof the container. The snap container is small and easily transported ina pocket, purse, or bag so can be readily available for the consumer.The seal is sufficiently robust to handle the jostling in a pocket orbag.

Another advantage is that the seal is easy and fast to open—and evenprovides an element of fun and interest to the consumer in snapping thecontainer open. This is accomplished without the need for any tool. Itis opened by merely squeezing the thumb and finger together, whichcauses deformation of the seal, culminating in the bursting of the seal,which creates the popping or snap sound.

A further advantage is that the packaging keeps the product fresh. Theproduct is held securely within the container in a substantiallyairtight interior reservoir, which prevents the product from becomingstale. The maintenance of freshness until the enclosed product is readyto be used increases consumer satisfaction.

Dosage control is an additional advantage. If each snap container has aknown quantity of a mixture, the consumer may selectively choose thedesired dosage. For example, if a container holds a known quantity ofvitamin C, the consumer may open and use one, two, or more containers ina smoothie drink, thereby controlling the amount or dosage of thevitamin C to be ingested.

An additional advantage is that the snap container enables easy,on-the-go creation of preferred beverages. Carrying a snap container isfar lighter and more convenient than carrying a heavy pre-mixedbeverage. A concentrated mixture may be contained within the snapcontainer, which may be mixed with water or other liquid when ready touse.

Another advantage is providing the consumer with the ability tocustomize a mixture. The consumer can mix the pre-portioned amount of afirst product from a first small container with the pre-portioned amountof a second product from a second small container to create a customblend. Additional snap containers can optionally be obtained containingfurther product types that can further customize the blend. The consumercontrols both the type of product and the amount of the product that isused to create the particular customized mixture. For example. if theconsumer wants to create a unique-tasting tea, he might selectcontainers with brewable herbs, such as a container of Darjeeling tea, acontainer of powdered ginger, and a container of cardamom. He can snapopen the three containers and pour the three products into a steepingsieve and steep a few minutes to create a cup of tea tailored to hisparticular taste. As another example, the consumer may choose multiplesnap containers of botanical matter that are mixed to create a balancedtherapeutic effect, such as a snap container of cannabidiol and a snapcontainer of chamomile. In another example, if the customer wants tocreate a custom-made pipe tobacco, he can choose containers of smokablematerial, such as one container of Virginia tobacco mixed with acontainer of Turkish tobacco to create a personalized blend.

Yet a further advantage of the inventive container is found when theproduct is a smokable product. In this case, the closed rounded tip atthe rear of the cylinder may be used to tamp down the product. In theabove example, after emptying the two containers containing differenttobaccos and mixing the products to create the custom-made smokableblend, the consumer may turn one container over and use the rounded tipto press the smokable plant matter firmly into the pipe to achieve abetter burn.

In one aspect of the invention, after snapping the container open andpouring the product out of the container and into the receivingreceptacle, the closed rounded tip of the outer casing may be used totamp the dispensed product down in the receiving receptacle.

In another aspect of the invention, the outer casing is formedunitarily.

In an additional aspect of the invention, the outer casing is formed ofblow-molded plastic.

In a further aspect of the invention, the elongated seal is a T-shapedseal.

In another aspect of the invention, the elongated seal is a crimpedseal.

In an additional aspect of the invention, the outer casing is formed oflow-density polypropylene.

In another aspect of the invention, the outer casing is formed of arecyclable plastic material.

In a further aspect of the invention, the outer casing is lined with asecond material.

In another aspect of the invention, an inner coating is applied to theinside of the outer casing.

In an additional aspect of the invention, the outer casing is formed ofa laminated material.

In a further aspect of the invention, the product to be stored in thecontainer is in liquid form.

In another aspect of the invention, the product to be stored in thecontainer is in dry form.

In an additional aspect of the invention, the product to be stored inthe container is a brewable material.

In a further aspect of the invention, the product to be stored in thecontainer is a smokable material.

The object of the invention is to provide snap container for enclosing apre-portioned amount of a liquid or solid product which gives animproved performance over the above described prior art systems andmethods.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawingsand from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments whichfollow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be describedin conjunction with the appended drawings, provided to illustrate andnot to limit the invention, where like designations denote likeelements.

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a snap container having a T-shapedseal of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vertically-oriented snap containerhaving a T-shaped seal of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the snap container of thepresent invention that includes a T-shaped seal.

FIG. 4 is a cut view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 of an embodiment ofthe snap container of the present invention that includes a T-shapedseal.

FIG. 5 is an end view (looking from the first, closed end) of anembodiment of the snap container of the present invention that includesa T-shaped seal.

FIG. 6 is a cut view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 of an embodiment ofthe snap container of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view (the view is aligned with the lengthwise T-shapedseal) of an embodiment of the snap container of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of a snap container having a crimpedseal of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an end view (looking from the first, closed, bottom end) of anembodiment of the snap container of the present invention that includesa crimped seal

FIG. 10 is a top view of an embodiment of the snap container of thepresent invention that includes a crimped seal.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a vertically-oriented snap containerhaving a linear seal of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view (the view is aligned with the crimped seal) of avertically-oriented snap container having a linear seal of an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a cut view taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 12 of anembodiment of the filled and sealed snap container of the presentinvention that includes a crimped seal.

FIG. 14 is a cut view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 11 of an embodimentof the filled snap container of the present invention that includes acrimped seal.

FIG. 15 is a top view looking down into the open end of an empty,unsealed container of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an end view of closed end of an unsealed container of anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present inventionshowing a generally horizontally-oriented snap container with an openmouth and an unsealed rim.

FIG. 18 is a side view of a horizontally-oriented unsealed snapcontainer of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view from the bottom rounded end of an unsealedcontainer of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a top perspective view of a consumer squeezing the twoopposing seal termini toward each other to snap open the sealedcontainer of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a side perspective view of a consumer squeezing the twoopposing seal termini toward each other, which causes deformation andsnaps open the sealed container of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a machine for creating the fused seamof the sealed container of an embodiment of the present invention.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several viewsof the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Shown throughout the figures, the present invention is directed toward aone-piece container for packaging a pre-portioned amount of liquid ordry product, toward methods of packing, sealing, and accessing theproduct, and toward a machine designed for sealing the container. Thecontainer is configured to be manually snapped open to allow access tothe enclosed product so it can be accessed and dispensed.

The snap container, shown generally as reference number 100, isillustrated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention inFIGS. 1-7 (which illustrate a sealed container with a T-shaped seal),FIGS. 8-14 (which illustrate a sealed container with a crimped seal),FIGS. 15-19 (which illustrate a container before sealing), and FIGS.20-21 (which illustrate a container being snapped open). As shown, thesnap container 100 comprises a one-piece outer casing 150 that forms theouter boundary surrounding an interior reservoir 105 (FIG. 17). Theouter casing 150 includes a cylindrical shell or body 130 with a firstend and an opposing second end, a closed rounded tip 120 disposed at thefirst end of the cylindrical body 130, and a rim 140 disposed at thesecond end. The rim 140 forms an open mouth that provides an entrance tothe interior reservoir 105.

The closed rounded tip 120 is preferably not planar or squared off buthas the shape of a mound having a central apex 125. The transition 135between the cylindrical body 130 and the closed rounded tip 120 ispreferably smooth.

When the container 100 is positioned with the closed rounded tip 120oriented downwardly, the rim 140 of the outer casing 150 will beoriented upwardly. Before sealing, the rim 140 comprises a circular openedge that forms a peripheral border or mouth at the entrance to theinterior reservoir 105 into which the product 160 will be introducedbefore sealing. The edge of rim 140 is preferably substantially flat andcircular so that a plane drawn across the mouth of the cylinder wouldintersect the rim 140 in substantially a circle, though the edge of rim140 may optionally have an oblong shape. After sealing the container100, the outer edges or rim 140 are incorporated into the seal no, i.e.,fused to form the seal 110. The material forming the rim 140 has athickness that is equal to or greater than the thickness of thecylindrical body 130.

The wall of the cylindrical body 130 may have a diameter in the range of4 mm to 50 mm. In one aspect of the invention, the diameter of thecylindrical body 130 is in the range of 8 mm to 14 mm. The wall of thecylindrical body 130 may have a thickness in the range of 0.2 mm to 3mm. In one aspect of the invention, the thickness of the wall of thecylindrical body 130 is in the range of 0.4 mm to 0.9 mm. The wall ofthe closed rounded tip 120 at the closed end of the container 100 mayhave a thickness similar to the thickness of the cylindrical body 130.

The length of the container 100 from the center of a diameter placedacross the circular open edge 140 to the apex 125 may be in the range of5 mm to 80 cm. In one aspect of the invention, the length of thecontainer 100 is in the range of 10 mm to 30 mm.

To fill the container, the product is prepared for packaging, which mayinclude curing, drying, hydrating, filtering based on such features ascharacteristics or size, decontaminating, irradiating, and the like. Apre-portioned amount of the product is introduced through the mouth ofthe container formed by the circular open edge of rim 140 and into theinterior reservoir 105. The container 100 is then sealed.

To seal the container 100, two opposing edges of the circular open edgeof the rim 140 are compressed or squeezed together. Heat is then appliedto the two opposing rim edges that are juxtaposed (placed side by sideadjacent to one another). Heat may be applied from the top of thejuxtaposition, to the sides of the juxtaposition, or to both the top andthe sides. Three types of elongated seals are provided, a T-shaped seal,a crimped seal, and a combination T and crimped seal. All types of sealsare generally straight and are aligned with a diameter of the open,unsealed outer casing 150, particularly, the diameter between thejuxtaposed edges. Due to the squeezing of the rim edges together and thedeformation caused by the application of heat, the seal 110 will extendto a length greater than a diameter of the open outer casing 150 (asseen in the top views of FIGS. 3 and 10); this length is also generallyequal to half of the circumference of the outer casing 150.

In one aspect of the invention, shown in FIGS. 1-7, the container 100 isconfigured with the T-shaped seal 110. The T-shaped seal 110 is formedwhen two opposing edges of the circular open edge of the rim 140 areforced together and heat is applied to the top of the juxtaposed rimedges. The application of heat causes the plastic material of the twoedges to melt slightly and to fuse at seal 110 to close the top of thecontainer 100, which creates lips 113. The seal 110 extends lengthwisehaving at its first end a first seal terminus 115, having at itsopposing second end a second seal terminus 115, and having a centerseamline 119 (shown in FIG. 10). The lips 113 are small projectionsformed on opposing sides of the seal 110 and extending between seal top119 and the lip bottom niches 112 (FIG. 4). The lips 113 increase thethickness of the T-shaped seal 100 (FIGS. 3, 7) compared to thethickness of the top edge of the crimped seal 100 (FIGS. 10, 12). Asseen in FIGS. 4 and 7, the lips 113 project outwardly beyond the outerupper surface of the wall 118 of the body 130 a distance that isapproximately equal to, or slightly greater than, the thickness of thebody walls. The thickness of the T-shaped seal 100 may vary based onfactors such as the temperature of the applied heat and the length ofapplication of the heat.

In another aspect of the invention, shown in FIGS. 8-14, the container100 is configured with a crimped-type seal 110. The crimped seal 110 isformed when the two opposing edges of the circular open edge of the rim140 are forced together and heat is applied to the sides of thejuxtaposed rim edges. The application of heat causes the plasticmaterial of the two edges to melt slightly (without creating significantlips 113) and to fuse, which creates crimped seal 110 having a centerseamline 119 and ending in opposing seal termini 115. This closes thetop of the container 100 to form a generally airtight seal. In thecrimped seal aspect, the outer surface of the crimped seal issubstantially in line with the outer surface 118 (FIG. 13) of thecylindrical body 130 directly below the seal and does not projectoutwardly beyond the portion of the outer surface of the cylindricalbody 130 that is directly below the seal; the crimped-type seal no doesnot form lips 113 as does the T-shaped seal 100.

In further aspect of the invention (which has the same appearance as theT-shaped seal of FIGS. 1-7), the container 100 is configured with acombination T-shaped and crimped-type seal 110. The combination seal 110is formed when the two opposing edges of the circular open edge of therim 140 are forced together and heat is applied both to the rim sidesand to the rim top of the juxtaposed rim edges. The heat applicationcauses the fusing of the two edges and creates lips 113, as in theT-shaped seal 110. However, the application of heat from both the sidesand the top may provide a stronger seal, as may be desirable for sometypes of plastic materials, for some sizes of containers, and for someweights of product.

To open the container, the consumer places a finger or thumb on thefirst seal terminus (at the first end of the seal) and an opposingfinger or thumb on the second seal terminus (at the opposing end of theseal). The consumer then squeezes the first seal terminus toward thesecond seal terminus; this deforms the seam of the elongated seal, andthis deformation 117 (potentially along with other factors such as theairtight characteristic of the container) causes the seal to snap openalong the seam, which allows access to the product. This bursting of theseal 110 returns the shape of the container 100 to generally the shapethe outer casing 150 had before the outer casing 150 was filled with theproduct 160 and before sealing.

After opening the sealed container 100, the user can pour the product160 (whether liquid or solid) over the again-open outer edge of rim 140and into a receiving area, vessel, repository, container, or holder(which is referred to generally as a “receiving receptacle”). In someaspects of the invention (particularly if the product 160 is a smokableproduct), the consumer may then use the closed rounded tip 120 to tampthe dispensed product down into the receiving receptacle. For example,if an adequate amount of the smokable product is poured into thereceiving chamber of a pipe, the loosely packed product may not onlytend to overflow the chamber, but it may also allow too much airflowwhen ignited. The closed rounded tip 120 may be used to moreappropriately pack and/or compress the product to insure a smooth evenburn. This eliminates the need for the consumer to obtain a separatetool to use for this tamping procedure. Additionally, using this methodto tamp down the dispensed product, the consumer does not need to usehis fingertip for this purpose, thereby preventing soiling of the fingerand preventing the smokable product from sticking to the fingertip andbeing lost from the pipe chamber.

The container 100 is suitable for containing any of a variety of productmaterials. The product may be liquid, semi-liquid (for example, a gel orcolloidal suspension), or dry matter (including solids). If the productis a dry material, it may be in the form of powder, particulates,flakes, crystals, granules, or other types of particulated matter thatare sized to fit within the mouth of the container 100 created by therim 140.

The product may be natural or synthetic; may be unprocessed,semi-processed, or processed; and may be in a concentrated form, naturalor undiluted form, or diluted form. The product may comprise a singleingredient, a combination of ingredients, or a mixture of ingredients.The product may be edible, may be smokable, may be brewable, or may beable to be applied to human skin, to other living animals, to plants, orto inanimate objects. Examples of liquid products include, but are notlimited to, lotions, creams, energy shots, flavorings, aromatics orperfumes, natural or processed oils, essential oils, tinctures, elixirs,liquid plant extracts, liquid vitamin mixtures, liquid mineral mixtures,liquid medicines, and fruit juice concentrate. Examples of dry productsinclude, but are not limited to, brewable material, smokable material,and ingestible material. For example, coffee, tea, herbs and otherbotanical matter, spices, and the like are brewable materials suitablefor packaging within the container 100. Ingestible materials includemilk powder, dairy creamers, sweetening agents, natural and artificialflavors, cocoa-based ingredients, medicines, dried vegetables, herbs,spices, and the like.

The container 100 is particularly suitable for the packaging ofbotanical materials. The botanical matter utilized as the containedproduct 160 may be derived from any portion of the plant (stem, roots,leaves, buds, flower portions, bark, rhizomes, fruit, etc.) withdifferent plant portions utilized depending on the particular plantvariety that has been selected. The botanical matter may include, but itnot limited to, leaves (such as tea or hemp leaves), flowers or buds(such as Cannabis buds), bark (such as the bark of cinnamon trees of thegenus Cinnamomum), seeds (such as coffee or celery), or roots (such asthe dried root of the celery plant (Apium graveolens). As an example,the botanical matter may be, but is not limited to, any of thefollowing: tea leaves, coffee beans, yarrow flower (Achilleamillefolium), Salvia species (including sages, Salvia apiana, and Salviadivinorum), Lamiaceae species (including peppermint and spearmint),Leonotis species (including wild dagga and klip dagga), plants of thePapaveraceae family (including celandine poppy and California poppy),blue lotus (Nymphaea caerulea), kratom, tobacco, herbal non-tobacco,mugwort, coltsfoot leaf, Heimia salicifolia, St. John's wort, Melissaofficinalis, skullcap (Scutellaria laterifolia), Yerba lenna yesca,Capillaris Herba, Calea zacatechichi, Leonurus sibericus, kava, Avenasativa, kanna, Lactuca virosa, clove, myrrh, willow, Cornus (dogwoodincluding red osier), pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata), pyrola,kinnikinnik, arctostaphylos uva-ursi, camomile, manzanita,Arctostaphylos species, madrone, Arbutus menziesii, Rubus species(raspberry, blackberry, etc.), scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius),Cannabis species (including sativa, indica, and ruderalis), calamus,Verbascum species (mullein), Cinnamomum species, Elettatia cardamomum,plants of the Aquilaria genus, Crocus sativus, Santalum album, Withaniasomnifera, Mucuna pruriens, Mimosa hostilis, Celastrus paniculatus,Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellerica, Solanumxanthocarpum, Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), Ocimum sanctum,Zingiberaceae family (including Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Zingiberofficinale (ginger), a'hai, celery plant (Apium graveolens), Commiphoramukul, Boswellia serrata, Vitex negundo, Bacopa monnieri, Cyperusrotundus, Myristica fragrans, Valeriana wallichii, Nardostachysjatamansi, Acacia confusa, Passifloraceae species, Echinacea purpurea,milk thistle (Silybum marianum), Angelica species (including Angelicaarchangelica), catnip plants (Nepeta cataria), lavender (Lavandulaangustifolia), Taraxacum species (including dandelion), linden treeflowers, lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora), and gotu kola (Centellaasiatica).

The outer casing 150 is preferably formed unitarily of a plastic resin,which is most preferably low-density polypropylene (LDPE). Preferablyblow molding is used to create the outer casing 150. However, othermethods of forming plastic containers (such as injection molding, vacuumforming, or thermoforming) are within the scope of the invention. Aninterior coating or an interior lining may be included within the outercasing 150 to provide benefits such as a reduction in oxygenpermeability, to decrease flavor scavenging in which the plastic absorbsflavors from the product, and the like. An interior coating may beformed of polytetrafluoroethylene (such as the Teflon® brand of PTFE),nylon, aluminum, or the like.

The type and/or amount of product enclosed within the snap container 100may be disclosed to the consumer through one or multiple means ofindication. In one aspect of the invention, the plastic material istransparent or translucent; this enables the consumer to view theproduct packaged within the container, which may give an indication ofthe type of amount of product contained. In another aspect of theinvention, the packager adheres a label onto the side of the container100 to indicate the content type and amount enclosed within the snapcontainer 100. In a further and preferred aspect of the invention theouter casing 150 is manufactured in multiple colors of plastic with eachcolor representing a product type and/or an amount.

The usage of more than one color may provide advantages in that itenables the packager to package a first product in a first color ofcasing 150, to package a second product in a second color of casing 150,etc. or to package a first amount or dosage of a product in a firstcolor of casing 150, a second amount or dosage of a product in a secondcolor of casing 150, etc.

This color-to-type or color-to-amount coding allows the packager toindicate the product type or the product amount to the consumer, eventhough the consumer cannot view the product inside through transparentor translucent packaging, and even if the packager does not desire toadhere a label to a side of the container 100. The container 100 may beconsidered more elegant and/or more aesthetically pleasing without anadhered label.

The consumer can be notified of the coding (the association of aparticular color or particular dosage with a particular enclosedproduct) in any of a variety of ways, even without labeling on thecontainer 100 itself. For example, an outer wrapper, outer carton, outerbox, advertising materials, signage, or the like may allow the consumerto associate a first type or dosage of product contained to a firstcolor.

This coding indication to the consumer of the type or amount of enclosedproduct within the container 100 aids the consumer in both determiningdosage and in creating personalized blends and mixtures. If a bluecontainer 100 contains a defined amount of Virginia tobacco and anorange container 100 contains a defined amount of Turkish tobacco, theconsumer may carry a blue container 100 and an orange container 100 withhim, knowing that he can blend his own preferred custom-made pipetobacco with the two containers he has brought with him. This occurswithout the need for the packager to provide labeling on the individualcontainer 100. Also, unless a nearby person also knows the codingsystem, the ingredients of the custom-made pipe tobacco are notdisclosed to nearby companions.

Due to the novelty of the inventive container 100, no conventionalmachine was currently available for the positioning, securing, andheating of the outer casing 150 to create the container 100. Thus, FIG.22 discloses a positioning, holding, and heating machine 200 for thecreation of the containers 100 from the pre-formed outer casings 150.

The holding and sealing machine 200 comprises at least one row ofmultiple wells 210 and preferably multiple rows of wells 210. Each ofthe wells 210 have an interior diameter slightly larger than the outsidediameter of the outer casing 150 to be sealed to allow an outer casing150 to be introduced into a well 210. Each well 210 has a peripheralwall 211, the outer (upper) edges of which define an opening 212 thatwill accommodate the outer casing 150. The floor of the well 210 may beflat or may be concave in correspondence with the convex tip 120 of thecasing 150.

The holding and sealing machine 200 comprises sliding rails 235, 245that slide in opposite directions to compress the sides of the casing150 to juxtapose opposing rim edges in preparation for formation of theseal. In the exemplary aspect shown in FIG. 22, sliding rails 245 slideto the left; sliding rails 235 slide to the right.

The left sliding rails 245 are fixedly attached to sliding shaft 240that slides left. When left sliding shaft 240 is moved leftward (eithermanually or mechanically) the left sliding rails 245 slide to the left.

The right sliding rails 235 are attached to a right sliding shaft 230.When right sliding shaft 230 is pulled (either manually or mechanically)the right sliding rails 235 slide to the right.

The end one of the right sliding rails 235 may be fixedly attached tothe end of the right shaft 230, but any middle ones of the right slidingrails 235 are fixedly attached to a middle portion of the shaft 230. Toallow the right shaft 230 to slide, the left sliding rails 245 areconfigured with a channel 241 that is sized and shaped to accommodatethe right shaft 230. The right shaft 230 slides within the channel 241to move the right rails 235.

Solid structures 225 may be interspersed with open spaces along the edgeof the machine 200 with the shafts 230, 240. The open spaces allowaccess to the shafts 230, 240, such as for manual manipulation of theshafts. The sliding of the shafts 230, 240 and of the rails 235, 245 maybe actuated by an electric motor to mechanize the operation, if desired.

To use the holding and sealing machine 200, multiple outer casings 150are obtained in one or more colors or transparencies. Each outer casing150 to be sealed is oriented with the closed rounded tip 120 disposedwithin a well 210. The right sliding shaft 245 is slid right, and theleft sliding shaft 235 is slid left. These movements pull the right rail245 toward the left rail 235 and compress the rim edges of opposingsides of the cylindrical body 130 to position the opposing rim edgesadjacent each other. Heat is then applied to the sides of the rim, tothe top of the rim, or to both rim sides and rim top of the juxtaposedrim edges of the cylindrical body 130.

In an example of applying heat to the rim top to create a T-shaped seal,the heat is applied by a flat heated platen that pressed down onto thetop juxtaposed rim edges of the cylindrical body 130 with between 5pounds and 7 pounds of force for 2 to 4 seconds. The heated platen ispreferably covered with a non-stick surface material and is heated tobetween 350 degrees F. and 370 degrees F. The application of the heatfrom the heated platen melts and flattens the top 1 mm to 2 mm of theexposed plastic into the T-shaped seal. Other similar applications ofheat are within the scope of the invention. For example, heating theheated platen to a slightly higher heat may allow the heat applicationtime to be reduced or may allow the downward force to be decreased, andheating the platen to a slightly lower heat may require a longer heatapplication time or a slightly greater downward force.

Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be madeto the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intendedthat all matters in the foregoing description and shown in theaccompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined bythe appended claims and their legal equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of packaging a product, comprising:obtaining a container, wherein said container comprises an outer casingcomprising a cylindrical body with a first end comprising a closedrounded tip and with an opposing second end comprising a circular openouter rim having a rim top and rim sides; wherein said outer casingdefines an interior reservoir; and wherein said outer rim defines anopen mouth to said interior reservoir; obtaining a product; holding saidcontainer with said outer rim positioned upright; introducing apre-portioned amount of said product into said open mouth to partiallyfill said interior reservoir; compressing opposing edges of said outerrim together; and applying heat to fuse the compressed opposing edges ofsaid outer rim to create a fused seal.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid outer casing comprises a single piece formed of plastic.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein said outer casing comprises an outer wall;wherein said seal comprises a T-shaped seal; and wherein said T-shapedseal comprises lips projecting slightly outwardly beyond said outerwall.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said product comprises a liquidproduct.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said product comprises dryproduct.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said dry product comprises abotanical matter.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying heat to thecompressed opposing edges of said outer rim to create a fused sealcomprises: heating a platen to between 360 degrees F. and 380 degreesF.; and using said platen to apply a pressure of between 5 pounds and 7pounds of force for 2 to 4 seconds to said rim top of said compressedopposing edges.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying heat to thecompressed opposing edges of said outer rim to create a fused sealfurther comprises using a heated flat platen to apply pressure to saidrim sides of said compressed opposing edges.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein applying heat to the compressed opposing edges of said outer rimto create a fused seal comprises using a heated flat platen to applypressure to said rim sides of said compressed opposing edges.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein applying heat to the compressed opposingedges of said outer rim to create a fused seal consists of one ofapplying heat to said rim top, applying heat to said rim sides, andapplying heat to both said rim top and to said rim sides.
 11. A methodof opening a sealed container, comprising: obtaining said sealedcontainer, wherein said sealed container comprises a plastic outercasing and an enclosed, pre-portioned amount of a product; said outercasing comprising a cylindrical outer shell, a first closed end, and anopposing second end comprising a lengthwise seal; wherein saidlengthwise seal has been formed by compressing together opposing edgesof a rim surrounding a mouth disposed at said second end and heatingsaid compressed opposing edges of said rim; and wherein said lengthwiseseal extends lengthwise from a first seal terminus to an opposing secondseal terminus; placing said container between a thumb and a finger of ahand; manually applying pressure on said first seal terminus andsimultaneously applying pressure on said second seal terminus to actuatethe bursting of said lengthwise seal; and accessing said product. 12.The method of opening a container as recited in claim 11, wherein saidlengthwise seal comprises one of a T-shaped seal, a crimped-type seal,and a combination T-shaped and crimped-type seal.
 13. The method ofopening a container as recited in claim 11, wherein said productcomprises botanical matter.
 14. The method of opening a container asrecited in claim 11, wherein said product comprises a smokable material,further comprising: pouring said product into a receiving receptacle;and manually using said closed rounded tip to tamp said product downwithin said receiving receptacle.
 15. The method of opening a containeras recited in claim 11, further comprising: causing a deformation insaid lengthwise seal when manually applying pressure on said first sealterminus and said second seal terminus; and causing said rim to reopento form said mouth.
 16. A packaging container comprising: a product tobe contained; and a unitarily formed plastic outer casing comprising agenerally cylindrical outer shell, a first end, and an opposing secondend; wherein said outer casing defines an interior reservoir; whereinsaid first end of said outer casing comprises a closed rounded tip;wherein said second end of said outer casing comprises a rim; wherein,after insertion of a pre-portioned amount of said product into saidinterior reservoir, a first portion of said rim and an opposing secondportion of said rim are juxtaposed and fused to create a lengthwise sealextending lengthwise from a first seal terminus to a second sealterminus; wherein said lengthwise seal seals said packaging container.17. The packaging container as recited in claim 16, wherein said productcomprises botanical matter.
 18. The packaging container as recited inclaim 16, wherein said lengthwise seal comprises a crimped seal.
 19. Thepackaging container as recited in claim 16, wherein said cylindricalouter shell comprises an outer wall; and wherein said lengthwise sealcomprises a T-shaped seal comprising lips projecting slightly outwardlybeyond said outer wall.
 20. The packaging container as recited in claim16, wherein said lengthwise seal comprises a crimped seal and a T-shapedseal.